Smoking e-cigarettes can be more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco, according to researchers from Queen’s University Belfast in Britain. They discovered that bacteria found in the lungs becomes more harmful and causes increased inflammation when exposed to e-cigarette vapour.

The three-year study supports growing evidence that vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking. 

…Dr Gilpin said: “Bacteria have long been associated with the development of lung diseases, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, where smoking plays a role. Our study is the first of its kind which aimed to compare the effect of cigarette smoke and e-cigarette vapour on key lung bacteria. 

…The team tested the impact of vape smoke, cigarette smoke and no smoke on bacteria found in the lungs. They chose the most popular unflavoured, nicotine-containing e-cigarette for the test, to eliminate the potential additional damage flavourings could cause.

The team found that exposure to both cigarette smoke and e-cigarette vapour caused an increase in the potential of bacteria to cause harm in the lungs, in a way that could lead to lung diseases.

The researchers also found that changes in bacteria exposed to e-cigarette vapour were similar, and in some cases exceeded, those brought about by exposure to cigarette smoke.

Vaping: not a safe alternative to smoking, new study suggests, and it may be more harmful to health than tobacco in normal cigarettes | South China Morning Post

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